Context:

According to the WWF,  the population of the four most endangered Sturgeon fish is continuously decreasing. 

More on the news

• Four species of sturgeon are among the most endangered fish species in one of their last strongholds of the lower section of the Danube River in southeastern Europe.
• The World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) documented 395 cases of illegal sturgeon fishing and trade in Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine between 2016 and 2023.

Sturgeon Fish

• Sturgeons are a group of ancient fish originating from the late Triassic period more than 200 million years ago.
• They usually live in freshwater, coastal waters and inner seas.
• They Mostly feed on benthic organisms found on the bottom of water bodies, like molluscs, invertebrates and small fishes.
• They are flagship species in their rivers and adjacent seas.
• Six Sturgeon Species formerly native to the Danube River are

1. European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio):  locally extinct
2. Ship sturgeon (Acipense  nudiventris): locally extinct
3. Stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus): Critically Endangered
4. Russian sturgeon (Acipense  gueldenstaedtii): Critically Endangered
5. Beluga (Huso huso): Critically Endangered
6. Sterlet (Acipense ruthenus): Endangered since 2022  

• The Lower Danube Basin is the region in southeastern Europe where the Danube River flows into the Black Sea.
• The European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) and the ship sturgeon (A. nudiventris) are native to the Danube River.
• Still, the WWF noted that the Lower Danube Basin is among the last European regions with self-reproducing sturgeon populations. Thus, the Lower Danube should be a priority for conservation.
• Sturgeons are heavily exploited globally for their roe/eggs (caviar) and meat.

Danube River

• It is the second longest in Europe after the Volga.
• It rises in the Black Forest mountains of western Germany and flows for some 1,770 miles (2,850 km) to its mouth on the Black Sea.